rsa5387 Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 So I recently purchased my first hookah and am kind of regretting it for a few reasons. I cant figure out how much water too put in this thing since the stem and base are very small...the hookah is 10 inches tall. When I filled the vase 3/4 of the way up their was water in the pipe...at 1/2 it hit fine for a little while but I didnt taste any of the flavor from the tobacco (honey bananna)...it tasted like charcoal...smoke was only thick for about 30 seconds. What am I doing wrong with the setup? How much water should I add...how should I add the tobacco...how long should I wait for the coal too burn before I place it on the bowl?pretty much how do I setup this thing for a proper smoke? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anathema Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I assume quicklights for coals. Quicklights need to ash all around before getting placed on the bowl, and when lighting/heating them, keep away from the bowl as sometimes there are sparks and what not that spew out and land on top of the bowl.I had a bowl for my pumpkin hookah that was small/medium in size, held about 20grams, I used two halves of a 33mm quicklight.The stem should be 1-1.5 inches in the water. I had a pumpkin hookah, this was a little more than half full for me.Tobacco should be "sprinkled on" the bowl, until it's barely under the top of the bowl.If you needed general set up information, there's a whole bunch around the internet, the hookah retailers also have set up guides on their site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinamon Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 1-1.5" below water level was too much for my pumpkin.the stem was always about 1/4-1/3" in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htp Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Here is how you should prepare your bowl and I think you should try with different amout of water until you think its good.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGILk5c-5Eg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsa5387 Posted September 10, 2007 Author Share Posted September 10, 2007 So I set it up again with the water level at about 1/4 and lit the coal away from the hookah...waited about 2 minutes for it too fully light and blew the ashes...than placed it on the bowl and I got great smoke...but no flavor...smoke tasted like charcoal and made me sick again...ended the session after 5 minutes and the inside of the top of the bowl was pitch black...what am i doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterboi Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Are you able to take pictures of how you set it up? like pictures of the bowl packed, then with the foil with the holes in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anathema Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 (edited) Smoke was probably too hot since it was only 1/4" in the water which is barely submerged, and wasn't diffused into the water enough and casued it to taste like charcoal but that's probably not the case.And did you use two halves of a 33 mm quicklight? Both placed on opposite sides of the bowl?Charcoal taste: is it charcoal or is it a burnt taste?If it still tastes like charcoal then you need a new brand of coals, I suggest Three Kings or Golden Coals.If it still tastes burnt after you used two halves of a 33mm(in diameter) quicklight, then split the charcoal into fourths and put three of them on.Start by placing coals on the outer edge of the bowl, not directly in the middle.If this all fails, it could be your tobacco that is expired, or is a bad quality. Edited September 10, 2007 by anathema Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinamon Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 QUOTE (anathema @ Sep 10 2007, 11:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Smoke was probably too hot since it was only 1/4" in the water which is barely submerged, and wasn't diffused into the water enough and casued it to taste like charcoal but that's probably not the case.ive noticed that you dont even really need water in the base. ive tried (out of curiousity) to smoke without anything in the base and it still tasted the same. this was with nakhla sweet melon and al fakher grape.with my pumpkin, if i submerge the stem in more than 1/3" of water, water will always go in to the hose when i inhale. this is also what is causing that port to rust like crazy. i will never buy another pumpkin hookah. thats why i have a mya qt as its replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsa5387 Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 I am using 3 King Coals Quicklight on the Hookah...and Havana Banana/Honey Tobacco...The smoke tasted like charcoal...I did place the full charcoal in the middle of the bowl. Anyways, I'll take some pictures before and after I try this again...in a few minutes...thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekon Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 While we're on the subject of coals, I have a question. Do you have to burn it all the way, IE. Red around the edges of the coal, White all around, light it till it sparks a bit. Would anyone like to inform me? I will be finally getting my QT on wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinamon Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 QUOTE (Dekon @ Sep 11 2007, 12:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>While we're on the subject of coals, I have a question. Do you have to burn it all the way, IE. Red around the edges of the coal, White all around, light it till it sparks a bit. Would anyone like to inform me? I will be finally getting my QT on wednesday.wait until it is fully done sparking and the whole coal is glowing red (with no black unburnt spots). then put it on the bowl and wait for it to heat up the tobacco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingMidas Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 it sounds like your letting the shisha get too hot before you start smoking, i would try to move the coa around alot more, placing it slightl off the edge, rotating it around the bowl as you go. That should fix your flavor problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allia22 Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 QUOTE (rsa5387 @ Sep 10 2007, 07:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am using 3 King Coals Quicklight on the Hookah...and Havana Banana/Honey Tobacco...The smoke tasted like charcoal...I did place the full charcoal in the middle of the bowl. Anyways, I'll take some pictures before and after I try this again...in a few minutes...thanks!Don't use a whole coal... Well, you can if you're careful, but don't just plop it in the middle, especially if you've got a smaller bowl. Try breaking it into pieces then lighting it, because it definitely sounds like you're burning your bowl. Try using two layers of foil as well, I got no flavor until I started doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anddy Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 sorry for hiijacking but quick question. How does everyone split their coals? I have 3kings and everytime i try to cut it with a knife or break it, it always crumbles or breaks into little pieces.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterboi Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 QUOTE (anddy @ Sep 11 2007, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>sorry for hiijacking but quick question. How does everyone split their coals? I have 3kings and everytime i try to cut it with a knife or break it, it always crumbles or breaks into little pieces..i used a serrated steak knife. works good for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anathema Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Hold it with the dimple facing you. Put both your thumbs on the inside of the dimple, where you think half is. Then apply pressure and try to break it in half.When it does crumble, less than 10% of the coal crumbles off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubs Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 I have noticed with my pumpkin you have to play with the coals a lot to get it to smoke right I fill my base about 3/4" past the stem I get good smoke out of it. I use a 3k or a like brand but I split the coal in half and put a half on opposite sides of the bowl. Sounds to me like you are burning your shisha as the bowls are small and shallow and it doesn't take much to burn the shisha in those tiny bowls I only fill mine about 3/4of the way full and leave it fairly loose. I have noticed it takes a bit of messing around with the pumpkin to get it right but once you get the hang of it you will be able to get a decent session out of it. I personally don't like my pumpkin and plan on getting a new setup soon and have a 18"setup I am using now,but it is possible to get a good session out of it if you make the effort to setup it up right. It just takes a lot of heat management to get it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsa5387 Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 Yeah I am still having the same exact problems as before...I get it too smoke good but the shisha burns far too easily. I am thinking about getting rid of this and getting a Maya QT. Will that be alot easier to setup and all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinamon Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 are there different companies that make the pumpkin hookah? the bowl that mine came with is about the same size as a mya bowl and i just put one 3king right in the middle and it smokes fine.mya qt ftw though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubs Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 (edited) QUOTE (chinamon @ Sep 11 2007, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>are there different companies that make the pumpkin hookah? the bowl that mine came with is about the same size as a mya bowl and i just put one 3king right in the middle and it smokes fine.mya qt ftw though!Yeah I believe there are a few different brands as I have seen that some of them don't have a removable ashtray and mine locks down to the Syrian ( male ) bowl grommet. Most I have read about in the review section said it was a fixed tray and too small. On mine it's about right sized but not deep like a regular tray is. The pics I have seen on some sites the tray is tiny fixed to the stem. Edited September 12, 2007 by Jubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anathema Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 rsa5387 do you live in central OC, CA by any chance? haha I'll personally help you get your hookah started if I could smoke it also. ^^The problem is not the hookah, it's your coal management and something to do with the bowl and shisha. You're looking for an "easier" setup. By easier you mean quicker or do you mean easy as it'll fix your problems? In my opinion I don't think getting a new hookah would fix your burnt problem, maybe a new bowl or something will change things a tad bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsa5387 Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 (edited) its a Havana brand pumpkin...I believe a new bowl would help alot...I live in Michigan Edited September 12, 2007 by rsa5387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsa5387 Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 decided i'll just get a maya qt...is that a good decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubs Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 QUOTE (rsa5387 @ Sep 13 2007, 11:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>decided i'll just get a maya qt...is that a good decision?There has been a lot discussion about them lately. You might want to check out the review section and search the threads to make your choice on that one. I have never personally owned or used one but, from the reviews lately I don't think I am willing to take the risk associated with the vases on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anathema Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 If you can find a local Mya retailer that'd be much better since you should be able to hand-pick your bases(which seem to be the problem). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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